Nearly three months following the event, the CAN 2025 final continues to spark significant debate. On January 18th in Rabat, Senegal initially secured a 1-0 victory against Morocco after extra time. However, on March 17th, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) controversially overturned this outcome, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win by forfeit.
The CAF appeal jury justified its decision by citing Articles 82 and 84 of the regulations, which state that a team leaving the pitch or refusing to resume play is automatically declared the loser. This interpretation has been strongly contested by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, which has since escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) in an effort to nullify the verdict.
While awaiting the TAS’s definitive ruling, Edouard Mendy has broken his silence to champion the position of the Lions of Teranga. During an appearance on the Saudi podcast Mo Show Prod, the Al-Hilal goalkeeper presented his account of events, directly contradicting the accusations of collective abandonment put forth by the Moroccan side.
The Senegalese shot-stopper, who was a hero in the final for saving Brahim Diaz’s penalty, emphasized a crucial detail. « People claimed we all left the field during the final, but that’s incorrect. There were still players on the pitch. It’s very important to highlight this, » he asserted.
Edouard Mendy advocates for Senegal’s position
He further bolstered his argument by referencing the report from referee Jean-Jacques Ndala: « That’s why the referee didn’t blow the final whistle. His report noted that the match paused momentarily, but not that the team abandoned it, because players remained on the field. »
According to the former Chelsea goalkeeper, the game did indeed restart, which would invalidate any claim of a forfeit: « The match stopped for a moment and then resumed, so from that point, there’s no need to discuss what happened because the game continued until the very end. If the entire team had been absent, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. But that wasn’t the situation. »
Nevertheless, this perspective doesn’t entirely resolve all ambiguities. Reports from Afrik Foot, reportedly supported by official footage, suggest that almost the entire team, with the notable exception of Sadio Mané, had indeed left the pitch for several minutes—including Edouard Mendy himself, who was reportedly among the first to head back to the changing rooms. The clash of narratives persists, as the football world eagerly awaits the final verdict from the TAS.
